Do I have to login in before posting - I see it put me down as a guestThreads combined. Messages below are from a new thread. Best way to find old threads is to use the Filter on the main forum page, and set the age back a bit. Threads drop off the menu if nobody posts to them for 24 hours, but they can always be revived with a new message.-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-

I did post a request last week but it appears to have disappeared despite putting a trace on it, but then I haven't worked out how this forum works, and I'm guessing I'll appear as a guest. Can anyone help with the lyrics/chords for Ave Maria by Eleanor McEvoy.

For the record, here are the lyrics to this song. I found it at http://www.eleanormcevoy.com. It's on her Early Hours CD. You can hear a sample of the song here and a YouTube recording of part of the song here (click). Maybe some nice guitarist can come up with chords from that. I used to listen to her a lot, but then she became too "pop" for me (or I became too "trad" for her).

AVE MARIA (Eleanor McEvoy)

Ave Maria, don't let her down In your powder blue robe and your shiny gold crown See, she's put all her trust in you Like she was brought up to do So Ave Maria don't let her down You can't let her down

Ave Maria, won't you be kind? 'Cause she's spoken those prayers Each day of her life And the suffering that she goes through She offers it up to you So Ave Maria please be kind Try to be kind.

Ave Maria, gracia plaina Ave Maria, if you're really there With your perfect white skin and your shiny brown hair When she kneels amongst the crowd And sings the "Ave" out loud Ave Maria, don't you care? Don't you care?

Ave Maria, gracia plaina

Ave Maria

"gracia plaina" - that's not the way I spell "gratia plena." I'm not much of a guitarist, and I can't hear the chords; but it looks like she's playing it in "G" capo up 2 - (pattern is G, C, D7)

Right, Joe. Basically fingering G e C (resp. A) D7 in slight variations. G major up 2 makes it A major, suitable for baritones of any gender. You may want to transpose the song, but don't push the capo up further. Choose a different voicing instead.

As with many such songs, the lyrics are the dominant feature. One thing is interesting about the music though: McEvoy quotes a line of Franz Schubert's tune to "Ellen's prayer" from Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake". "Gratia plena" is from a later adaptation, and "gracia plaina" later still ;-).

Let's try this. See if you can work it out if you start in the middle.

I listened to as much of that video as I can stand, and I'm gonna make a MIDI of the phrase 'Ave Maria, tum tee to you.' I'm gonna put it in the guitar-friendly key of D. You figure it out in D, then transpose it to whatever key suits your voice.

I'll send the snippet to Joe, along with the names of the chords. If you need help changing the key, get back to us.

I sent the fragment and some tips to Joe, and he should be able to post it here. Be patient, because today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., a major holiday.

=========== D D D A D G G D A A ve Ma ri a tum tee to you

I'm not good with timings, but I'm pretty sure it's in 4/4. The 'A' in 'Ave' is just a pick-up note, so when you are working out the chords, you can skip it at first. The first note of the song is an F#.

You probably won't need all these chords to perform it. This is just to get started with. =============

Maverick, do you want to use the chords to accompany yourself on the guitar? Or on another instrument? What is your voice range? Are you familiar with the concept of transposition? Do you possess a complete recording? Is it in Bb major?

I wrote above: "If you cannot identify them by ear, are you sure you want to perform the song?" This was not meant as rude as it may sound - sorry. What I want to say: having read the chord names and knowing how to finger them is not sufficient to make a good performance, you should also try to understand the grammatical meaning of the chords, so to speak. (Joe, of course, is an expert in this discipline, but a chivalrous liar. The other day I watched him singing "The Key of R" on Youtube.)

I qualify for some nice guitarist in the sense of "nice try". If further help is desired, just ask.

When I click on the link to the MIDI, I get the message 'not enough memory to complete this operation.' This happens whether I left click or right click. (Usually right-clicking works in this situation.)